Guan-kv'var-de's mandibles almost went slack as she easily recognized the tensing of the pup's body which signified that the little female was ready to bolt. Sheknew that the tiny female was giving her an expression of pure anger, but that was perfectly fine with her. As far as she was concerned this pup had issued a challenge to make her speak, and if there was one thing no Yautja could resist, it was a challenge of any kind. Guan-kv'var-de fully accepted the unspoken, but obvious challenge from the ooman pup, and she intended to emerge victorious.
Guan knew that the ooman was angry at her. Well… angry might be an understatement, but that was fine with her. If she got the pup angry enough, then the little female ooman just might give up her silence. She had decided that since this ooman was a pup, and was also acting like one, that she would treat her as such. After having spent several ooman decades raising three male pups of her own, Guan knew quite a lot about how a pup might react to different things. One thing she knew for certain was that this particular pup had been treated so dishonorably, that any type of spanking was out of the question as far as discipline was concerned. The poor thing had obviously suffered more than enough in her opinion.
As she looked at the tiny female who was still glaring angrily at her, Guan couldn't help but notice how badly the pup's coverings were fitted to her small body. The leg coverings were bunched at the waist, and had to be held up by a strap that took in the extra cloth. The torso covering was much the same, far too loose on the pup's body. It was almost as if the pup had been given no choice but to use coverings that were too large to fit her body. She had no idea how this pup had come to be in the Temple of Passage, but she did know that she could not allow the pup to remain in such a state of disgrace, because not only did the pup's appearance reflect on the ooman, but it would now reflect on her as well.
Lilith watched the Predator woman warily. There was no way that she was going to tolerate being treated like a baby, by something that would have given her nightmares before she had learned that there were things even worse than monsters. When the Predator kept still and just sat there kneeling down and watching her, Lilith decided that she'd had enough, and turned to leave. She didn't know were she would go, but any place where she was alone would have to be better than being treated like a baby!
As soon as the tiny ooman turned to leave, Guan moved. With the innate grace, and deadly silence that her species was known for, along with a skill that had been honed to perfection by several hundred ooman years of training, she was beside the ooman in an instant.
Lilith gasped in shock and surprise as she was swept up into strong powerful arms. Almost instantly, she had tried to struggle to get free, but it was too late. The Predator woman had her in a hold that while wasn't at all painful, still wouldn't allow her to get free. She snarled as angrily as any wild animal as she fought in vain against the hold, but it was simply no use. This Predator was not going to let go!
"Relax, Little One. I will not hurt you, but I will not allow you to run amok either. Right now, I am taking you to the home of one of my friends. She is a healer, and I think you will like her. She is eager to meet you, and her sisters will be there as well." Guan said as she resumed walking towards her friend's home.
Neither Guan, nor the still struggling pup in her arms was forced to wait for long after she signaled her arrival, because Than-guan answered the front door quickly.
"Guan, it's good to see you again! You must tell me… how did the Chiva go?" Than-guan demanded excitedly as soon as they had entered.
Guan-kv'var-de looked around the primary living space, and quickly selected a fur covered chair to sit in. She deliberately ignored the increased struggling of the ooman pup in her arms as she sat down.
"That is actually part of how I've come to be here today. All three of my sons were successful in passing their trial, but Setg'in found this ooman pup inside the Temple of Passage during the trial!"
"What? What the pauk were those oomans thinking to take a pup into such danger?" Than-guan demanded instantly.
"I have viewed the recordings from each of their masks, and I've come to believe that the oomans no longer know what those Temples are used for. Only one of them was even able to read the ooman writing, and he apparently had some difficulty doing that. My thought is that they believed they were there to examine nothing more than abandoned ruins. If they no longer know the purpose of the Temples, then they may have simply been trying to learn of their history." Guan answered thoughtfully.
"If the oomans don't know what the Temples are for, then it is likely that their warriors will no longer be available for the trials." Than-guan replied quickly.
Realizing that she had a chance to learn just what had been going on at the pyramid, Lilith stopped her useless struggles. Besides, she was tired, and she wasn't doing any good any way. Trying to force the Predator's arms to move was like trying to push an eighteen wheeler by herself, a complete waste of effort.
"That may well be true. But there was apparently one ooman there who'd had some rather extensive training in the use of weapons and in combat." Guan said factually.
"Why do you think that?"
"Well, we know that the Hard Meat drones acquire some knowledge from their host so that they can be better adapted to their environment. Nihkou'te ended up killing a drone that not only fought with the skill of a warrior, but even used a weapon in battle against Kwei-vor'mekta!" Guan answered.
"Why was he even there? Elders are not to be involved in a Chiva!" Than-guan retorted suspiciously.
"That is true. Kwei was contacted after Setg'in found this pup inside, and the shifting of the Temple separated them from her. Unfortunately, Kwei was unable to get to this pup before that drone did. I believe that the only reason he was able to find this pup is because two other drones wanted to feast upon her, and the one that had captured her was intent on having her infested by the queen directly. A fight between the three of them allowed Kwei to catch up to them." Guan said heavily.
"Do you know for a fact that the pup hasn't been infested? Has she been examined for such an infestation?" Than-guan demanded as she reached for the mask attached to her belt.
"I have used a mask to examine her internally. Plus she had to be treated immediately upon being taken to the ship, because she used a small blade not much longer than one of her fingers to sever the veins in her wrists in order to keep her honor while the drones fought over her. So she was examined then as well." Guan answered quickly.
"How long has it been since she found was in the Temple?" Than-guan demanded.
"About one ooman day, perhaps a little less." Guan answered honestly.
Than-guan let out a breath of relief as she looked over at the ooman pup being cradled in her friend's arms. She wasn't even thinking about it, as she retrieved her mask to examine the little pup. What she saw during her exam caused chills to run down her spine. She got up slowly in a state of shock and moved closer to the pup who had sustained more injuries, and had more scars visible than many Honored Elders!
Than-guan knelt down in front of her friend and looked the ooman pup over. She could easily see the scars the covered the forearms of the pup, and could even see that several of them had not fully healed. Switching visual modes with a single mental command, allowed her to view the numerous spots of damage to the pup's rib cage, along with the bruising on the torso and abdomen. She was trembling with unbridled anger as she looked up at her friend.
"Bring her to my examination room!" She ordered as she stood up and led the way.
Guan followed the healer down a short corridor into another room filled with many high resolution scanners, and shelves that held what appeared to bethousands of different vials of medical formulas. In the center of the room was a well cushioned bed that actually looked quite comfortable, and she placed the tiny pup down on it. Instantly she was slammed against a wall and faced by a truly irate healer as a few more female Yautja entered the room.
"You told me that she had been starved! You did not tell me that she had… had…" Than-guan was so angry at what she'd seen that she couldn't even think of a term that was appropriate for the injuries she saw on the pup's body.
"You're right! I didn't tell you everything. You wouldn't have believed me if I hadtold you! No one would believe such things without seeing it for themselves!" Guan answered immediately.
The strong scent of fear assailed Than-guan's sense of smell and she turned towards the source to see the ooman pup getting off the bed. Then, as fast as any warrior in the midst of battle, she saw Guan move around the bed and lift the ooman pup in her arms to hold the little thing protectively.
"Relax, Little One. She is angry because you have been through dishonor. This is my friend, and her name is Than-guan. She is a healer who will see to your injuries and make certain that you are able to recover properly." Guan said with a soft but powerful purr to comfort the pup as she picked her up.
As soon as the slightly smaller one with gray skin had shoved Guan against the wall, Lilith had known there was going to be a fight. She knew from recent experience just how strong these Predators were, and she'd even seen how fast they were as well! There was no way that she wanted to be caught in the middle of a fight between two of them. No sooner had she gotten off the bed, than she was snatched up into the arms of the Predator woman who'd brought her here. That was when Guan or 'Gwen' as she'd decided to call the Predator introduced the other one.
'Than-guan?' Lilith thought as she snorted in laughter and almost burst out laughing. 'So if her name is Thing-One, where the hell is Thing-Two?' She wondered when she couldn't help but think of the characters from 'The Cat in the Hat' by Dr. Seuss.
When she little pup in her arms quickly suppressed a laugh, Guan figured that she was now over her fear, and placed the pup back on the bed. She watched closely as the healer adjusted the medical scanners and set them to analyzing the pup's bodily structure and injuries.
Than-guan activated half a dozen different medical scanners that she directed at the small ooman pup. She wanted to know everything about the ooman female's condition possible, so that she could make certain there would be no complications from the pup's treatment. Once she had the scanners in place, and active, she began to move slowly as she reached out and tried to take the ooman's hands to examine her arms. She couldn't blame the pup at all for resisting that particular exam. The soft soothing purr she began to emit was quickly echoed by both of her sisters and by Guan-kv'var-de as well. Even so, the pup was still tensed, and appeared ready to bolt at any instant. The sensitive systems in the mask that she's had made strictly for medical use easily showed her the level of damage from the numerous cuts, but that same sensitivity also revealed that there was damage from having both arms nearly shredded by some type of bladed instrument. There was little to no trace of that injury on the pup's skin, but inside the arms was a different matter. The signs of primitive ooman sutures were still there and readily seen by her mask. Stunned by such a gruesome discovery on the body of a pup, she turned to the scanner display to view the results of the ongoing scans. Than-guan had thought that looking at the scanner display would serve as a type of temporary reprieve from the sight of an atrocity she couldn't understand, but she couldn't have been more wrong.
Three different fractures in the bones of the face, all of a different age, two fractures of the lower jaw. The back of the skull had even been fractured at one point. One tooth was missing entirely, and another was broken down to the level of the gum line. There were even signs that the pup had had her jaw dislocated, and then relocated by blunt force. Then there were the ribs of the pup. Than-guan's mandibles drooped in horror as she saw that no less than fifteen of those ribs had been broken a total of more than forty times! Traces of massive abdominal bruising that could only be the result of being battered by another who was physically muchmore powerful was clearly evident because much of those bruises weren't yet healed! Then she saw two more results that made her blood run cold, and sent chills of pure horror through her body.
"Thwei… give the pup an injection consisting of equal parts of vials one thirty six, two fifty eight, and five ninety seven." Than-guan told her sister in a voice that literally shook with emotion.
"I am Than-guan-thwei; Than-guan's sister. This will make you feel better." She said after quickly mixing the formulas her sister had ordered, and preparing to give the injection slowly. She'd heard how Guan had spoken to the ooman pup, and therefore was sure that the pup could understand what was being said to her.
As soon as this Predator woman introduced herself, Lilith burst out laughing. She couldn't help it. 'Now I know where 'Thing-Two' is!' She thought still laughing. Part of what was so funny to her, was that she reallycouldn't tell any difference between 'Thing-One', and 'Thing-Two'. Her laughter was abruptly cut short when she spotted the needle looking thing that the Predator was holding. Unable to tear her eyes away from a needle that was even longer than her entire hand, Lilith began trying to back away from it, and the Predator moving it towards her.
Standing behind the little female, Guan gently placed her right hand on the pup's shoulder, and wasn't the least bit surprised when the little female jumped in fright. The acrid scent of fear from the pup was so strong she could almost taste it. She started that same soothing purr that had calmed the pup before, but noticed that this time, it had little effect.
Than-guan-thwei knew the ooman was afraid, and she could see exactly what the pup was looking at while trying to escape in some fashion. "Easy Little One. I need to put some serum into your body to make you feel better. I won't put the injector all the way in, because you're too small for that. Now if you'll just let me see your left shoulder, I can give this to you." She said softly.
Lilith shook her head with wide eyes and ragged breath as she looked at the huge needle the Predator wanted to stick her with. A shot in the butt was one thing, and it was better that way sometimes because she couldn't see how big the needle was. This time, she could see the needle that was meant for her arm! As soon as she tried to get away from that huge thing, Gwen had grabbed her and held her so that she couldn't get away. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she watched the needle that was a big as a pencil getting closer to her shoulder.
"Wait, stop! Give her some topical pain blocker on her shoulder first. She's been hurt enough!" Than-guan spoke up quickly while still leaning heavily against the table full of medical equipment that ran along the wall.
"I have that on the tip of my claw. I can see that she's not as well muscled as a Yautja pup would be, so I thought she might need it." Than-guan-thwei answered immediately.
"I am Yeyinde, (Brave One) sister of Than-guan, and Than-guan-thwei. Just relax Little One. The pain from the injection will not last long, if it hurts at all." Said a tan colored Predator that stepped over and pulled up her sleeve to bare her left shoulder. Lilith tried to fight as the one with the huge needle smeared some goop on her skin and waited a minute before slowly sticking the needle in her upper arm. Lilith couldn't prevent the whimper of pure terror that escaped her closed lips as the needle touched her arm. She just knew that she was now going to be hurt the same way that her parents had hurt her, and that thought terrified her.
Suddenly, Lilith let out a breath of surprised relief when the needle didn't really hurt even a fraction as much as she thought it would. Sure there was a sort of light pinching sensation, but that was nothing compared to what she was used to feeling. She watched apprehensively as the Predator slowly injected the stuff into her arm, and wondered why they weren't making her feel something to scream about. Only a little of the weird glowing stuff had been put in her arm when she started to feel a strange but pleasant warmth spreading down the inside of her arm. Lilith's mouth fell open, as the warmth slowly spread through her body. It was a nice feeling, but one that made her feel just a little sleepy too. Then all of it was in, and Thing Two pulled the needle out. That wonderful warm feeling was spreading, and every where that it went, Lilith could feel herself getting tired, and sleepy. No matter how hard she tried, Lilith couldn't keep her eyes open.
Guan kept purring until the little pup she was holding was soundly asleep. Then she gently laid the ooman pup down comfortably, and turned looked up at her friend.
"Why did you want her to sleep right now? I told you a short while ago that she slept during the trip here." Guan demanded firmly.
"Not… not here. I will not risk waking that pup now." Than-guan said heavily through a ragged breath.
Guan followed all three of the sisters back into the primary living space and quirked her mandibles in a frown of annoyance when Than-guan quickly grabbed a bottle of C'ntlip and poured four large portions into four cups. The healer then handed each female a cup and not only kept one for herself, but kept the bottle near as well.
"Why do I have a suspicion that I'm not going to like what you have to say?" Guan asked hesitantly as she noticed the healer's hand shaking while holding the cup.
"Someone beat her…"
"I know that! Kwei showed me the abomination of her back." Guan answered quickly as she started to get angry.
"No… I mean they beat her! With their fists! They did it to force her into submission so they… they could… breed her! It… it couldn't have happened more than two or three ooman days ago… the damage is still there. The bruises from whoever held her arms and the other who held her legs are still there. They… thatcreature even used her waste orifice for breeding! They… she…" Than-guan stammered before drinking the entire cup of strong alcohol down to bolster her nerve for what else she needed to tell her friend.
"She's been nearly killed on several occasions. The medical scanner report said that the… the atrocity on her back was done all at once! Then, there arehundreds of burns on her thighs that stop just at the level of the muscle beneath her skin! The starvation you told me about has been so severe that it's even halted her physical development! From the results, she should have already entered her first predevelopment breeding cycle long ago… but she hasn't! Her body has beenforced to use every last bit of food she's gotten during the past several years strictly for growth! Then there's the dishonorable state of her clothing! Do you realize that she is wearing nothing that was made for her? Everything she has on was obviously made for someone larger than she is! The foot coverings are being padded by no less than three layers of thick cloth beneath them! Then… then there is the dishonorable fact that she has no underclothing at all! No underwear of any kind!" Than-guan said as she refilled her cup with hands that shook from anger and outrage.
"Why in Cetanu's name would anyone do such things to a mere pup?" Than-guan-thwei asked in an anguished tone.
"I… I had heard that there were oomans with no honor… but… but this?" Yeyinde exclaimed in near despair. "This is something I would not have believedanything was capable of! Not even the worst of our Bad Bloods have ever treated a pup in such a way!"
"I thought I had understood why Kwei had brought her here. I knew about some of those injuries… but I never would have suspected the rest." Guan lamented sadly as she took a large sip of the liquor she'd been given. Suddenly her eyes shot wide and her mandibles flared in total shock as a thought struck her.
"That's why!" Guan shouted suddenly. "That's why she tried to kill herself! She must have believed that there was no way for her to reclaim her honor against someone too strong for her to defeat."
"That pup shouldn't need to reclaim her honor! What has been done to her has been happening for several years! It should be her family that avenges the dishonor she has been forced to endure! The mere fact that that pup in there has survived such dishonorable and… despicable treatment proves that she has more honor than many warriors who have earned their Blooding Rights! That pup has nothing to atone for!" Than-guan exclaimed bitterly.
"You're right sister. If what she has endured began years ago, then she would have been much too young to even try to resist such treatment. She wouldn't even have possessed the physical strength to fend off an ooman who was only twice her age, and from what you've told us, there may well have been more than one involved! There is no way that she could have fought such a battle! It would be like sending a single warrior to perform a cleansing against a well established hive! It would be impossible for success in either case." Yeyinde reasoned angrily.
"She will need to be told that she's never lost her honor, not if she was able to survive and somehow escape such treatment." Than-guan-thwei declared firmly.
Guan-kv'var-de was thinking hard about the tiny ooman pup, and the circumstances of her presence, when a very disturbing thought occurred to her. She looked up from her C'ntlip and glanced at each of her three friends. "The other oomans who were with her in the Temple of Passage…"
"They would have to be the ones who did such things to her." Than-guan interrupted as she caught on to her friend's thought.
"They had brought her along so that they might continue such things! They didn't know about the Blooding trial! They were going to keep doing such dishonorable things to her!" Yeyinde exclaimed as she understood where this conversation was going.
Suddenly Guan thought that she understood things much better than she had before. "She wasn't trying to reclaim her honor! She was trying to use death as a means to escape her tormentors!"
"No! I won't believe that! What in Paya's merciful name would make you say such a thing?" Than-guan demanded angrily.
"I say it, because Hulij-bpe was himself nearly killed when he stopped her from deliberately walking off a cliff. Afterwards, the little pup was screaming angrily at him that she was supposed to die… that she had to die!" Guan answered sadly.
All three of the healers gaped at their friend as they realized that what she had said could only be the truth. It was a truth that was so painful to think about, that none of them really wanted to consider it, but there it was. Than-guan refilled their cups, and each of the Yautja females looked down at the containers with disgusted looks on their faces.
Guan-kv'var-de bared her teeth in anger at what had been done to an innocent life. She knew all too well from personal experience just how few pups a Yautja female was able to conceive and carry to birth during their long life. There had been a few who had been known to spawn a total of five healthy pups, but that was incredibly rare, because two or perhaps three was the norm. It was for exactly this reason, that females wanted only the best and strongest males for breeding. With a strong male, there was less of a chance for a weak pup that might die at an early age. Raising pups to adult hood was both the greatest joy a Yautja might have, and at the same time it was also very distressing as well because those pups would eventually grow up and leave the nest. Being able to give life to so few pups, while living so long had taught the Yautja the real truth of a pup's worth. A pup was the very future brought to life! A newly birthed pup had the perfect unsullied honor of total innocence and honesty. The pup would remain unblemished until it learned either honor or dishonor from the one who raised it. These were the reasons that pups were to be loved, cherished, taught, and above all protected.
"I'm keeping her."
"What?" Than-guan asked having not heard because she was lost in her own musings.
"I am going to keep that little ooman pup and raise her as mine. My family and I will show her the honor which has been denied her." Guan said fervently as she looked up at each of her friends.
"Do you think your family will approve?" Yeyinde asked quickly. "If they object, then the pup can remain with me until you convince them." She offered.
Guan smiled at the healer because she knew that the offer was sincere, but then she shook her head. "They have already given me their thoughts on the matter. Kwei believes that the pup should be in a safe environment where she will not be whipped. He was the one who discovered the scarring on her back. Al-Nihkou'te has said that providing her with a proper home and an honorable family would be a fitting way of honoring the way she saved his life during the Chiva. Setg'in is not so enthusiastic, but he agrees that the pup needs to learn proper respect and honor, and that he would like to teach her those things."
"What of Hulij-bpe? As his God-mother, I know just how stubborn he can be when he sets his mind on something. If he objects, then you might well have a problem later." Than-guan-thwei asked in concern.
Guan laughed although there was a bitter undertone to her laughter. "Hulij-bpe is the worst of the lot! He is already insisting that I accept the pup, so that he can have a little sister to protect and watch over. He has pestered me almost constantly since their return. He claims that he owes her for saving his brother's life… and that he likes her because she makes him laugh."
"Hulij-bpe laughed?" Than-guan asked in disbelief. "That boy… Young Blood is always so serious, and keeps such tight control over himself because of his somewhat low intelligence. He almost never laughs!"
"I know, but he said that he's never laughed so hard in his life. Apparently, that little pup in the other room made him laugh so hard that his stomach hurt." Guan replied ruefully.
"Then it seems that the only thing remaining is to finish treating her injuries, and I will be glad to do that for you." Than-guan stated.
"Actually, there is something else I had in mind, and I am not entirely certain that it's even possible. But I know that if anyone can carry it out, it would be the three of you." Guan told them guardedly.
"Just what is it that you would have us do? It is obviously something serious, or you would simply have made the request." Yeyinde asked suspiciously.
"I would like to have all of the scars removed from the pup's body. She should not have to live with the proof of another's dishonor. I know that removing those scars won't remove what she has endured already, but she wouldn't have to see that proof each time she raises her hand, changes her clothing, or bathes." Guan replied fervently.
"Normally, I would not hesitate to say no. Scars are the mark of a warrior, they are considered proof of courage, and perseverance. But a mere pup shouldn't have any need to proclaim such things. I will say that her scars show that she has endured and survived far more than most Honored Warriors, and many Honored Elders! But you are right about all of them originating from another's dishonor, and no pup could deserve the foul treatment that caused her to have them. That is theonly reason that I will consent to do this! If she were an adult, I would not even think of removing them!" Than-guan stated sternly.
"If she were an adult, I would not have asked this of you. I would never even have thought of asking this from you!" Guan answered honestly.
"Good! Now, what have you obtained as far as clothing goes? What she's wearing now isn't proper for her size and most likely isn't even hers." Than-guan stated.
"I hadn't thought of that. But you're right; if what she's wearing is too big for her, then it must be another's cast off items." Guan said as she thought about it for a moment. "Do you know where I could obtain something that would fit her? I don't have anything small enough for her to wear, so that is out of the question."
"I know an old Blooded Warrior who was crippled not long after his Chiva. He has some trouble walking, but he is still able to provide for himself by making clothing to order. The medical scanners would not only have the pup's proper measurements, but they would also contain information about the clothing she has on right down to a molecular level. Why not have him make her some things that would fit her properly?" Than-guan-thwei asked intently.
"That is an excellent idea! If you would send him the information for me, I would be grateful. The Little One doesn't even have a single set of spare coverings to wear while those are being cleaned. She doesn't wish to speak to anyone, so taking her to get new clothing might be a problem with the questions that are sure to be caused by her scars." Guan replied enthusiastically.
"I'll go do that now, if you like. Depending on how complex they are to make, they may have to picked up the day after tomorrow. He does have a lot of automated equipment that helps him though, so it shouldn't take much longer than that." Than-guan-thwei said as she stood up.
"Why does the pup not speak? You said earlier that she screamed at Hulij-bpe, so does she not speak otherwise?" Yeyinde asked suddenly.
"I don't know the reason she chooses not to speak. But she won't. In fact, the only reaction I got from her when I asked who had harmed her so was one of fear. Who ever has done such things to her may have wanted her silence to hide what they've done, and so far she only seems to speak during severe stress." Guan answered carefully before looking over at Thwei. "I would appreciate that. I'm not concerned about cost, but I do want quality. I've seen the kind of clothing that falls apart after being worn only a few times, and I don't want that for the Little One."
Than-guan-thwei left the room to retrieve some information from the medical computers, before sending the information to her acquaintance.
"Let's finish our drinks, and then we can go wake the Little One and give her a bath. A good hot soak should do her some good." Than-guan said to change the subject and gain some time to gather her thoughts in peace.
Lilith hated herself. She had begun to hate herself because she had also begun to hate her parents. She didn't want to hate them, she really didn't, but they kept hurting her so many times, and so badly that she couldn't stop from screaming and begging them to stop. They never did. Her parents always hurt her now, and they seemed to enjoy making her scream and beg. She had tried to apologize for whatever it was that she'd done wrong, but she didn't what that was.
Now, here she was, chained up naked in a spread eagle stance. Her arms had long ago gone numb from being suspended above her head. Her wrists were chafed beneath the straps and the cuts that the hospital had sown up had even bled, so that dried blood ran down her arms. The welts and cuts on her body were still raw and some of them still bled a bit. She hung her head, and looked down at the cold cement beneath her bare feet that was stained and splattered with her own blood. She hated being hurt, and wished that her parents would just let her leave, but they weren't going to do that. Deep down, she knew it, even if she didn't want to admit it, not even to herself, that her parents were enjoying making her suffer.
The door to the basement slammed open and her mother came storming down the stairs into the basement.
"Well now, you little bitch! Your father thinks that duct tape might have finally shut your worthless ass up! Now since he's at work trying to pay for all the fucking bills that your worthless ass keeps racking up, I'm going to find out if it really did work!" Her mother said in a snarl.
Lilith whimpered in fresh fear. All she wanted was for the hurting to stop. Suddenly, she was screaming at the top of her lungs as her mother threw lemon juice on the still open cuts! The cruel smile on her mother's face was something that she knew would give her nightmares as the woman almost laughed while pouring some of the lemon juice into her hand. "Talk now, you worthless bitch, because every time you open your mouth, you prove just how fucking worthless you really are!" Her mother sneered before deliberately rubbing the numerous cuts and wounds on her body with the hand full of lemon juice!
Lilith screamed and struggled against the hand she felt on her ribs. She moved quickly away from it, only to come face to fang with the concerned face of a large gray Predator. Lilith froze in confusion, and it took her a minute or two to realize that she wasn't locked or chained in the basement anymore. She stared at the Predator for a second before her face twisted in anger and she tried to roll away from the oversized woman. Almost instantly, Lilith found herself being lifted into a pair of strong arms that were all too familiar to her now, and she knew that struggling was useless. She released a loud snarling growl of anger directed strait up at the Gwen's face while she struggled anyway.
"Relax Little One. You are among honorable Warriors who will ensure that you are safe. Will you tell me why you were screaming in your sleep?" Guan asked as she held the frantically struggling pup in her arms.
Lilith shook her head violently. After the things her parents had done to make sure that she never spoke again, and the fact that she never wanted to reveal to these creatures just how worthless she was, she was determined to say nothing at all! Still breathing heavily from screaming in her sleep, she looked around and saw Thing-One, and the other one that she hadn't come up with a name for. Thing-Two wasn't anywhere around, and she was sort of glad, because even if it hadn't really hurt, she did not want another one of those shots! She looked back at Thing-One, and suddenly realized how she could tell the difference between her and Thing-Two. Thing-One had a bracelet of teeth or claws of some kind on her right wrist, and she knew that Thing-Two hadn't had that when she had been given the shot.
Lilith frowned in irritation when she heard Gwen start making that purring sound. It was true that it made her feel a little better, but she knew that she shouldn't feel better, because things were only going to get worse, and she'd be hurting again. She looked up at the Predator woman holding her and stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes at the woman.
Guan couldn't help it when her purr faltered and stopped as the female pup in her arms made that face at her. It had been the absolute last thing she had expected. She knew that each of her sons had received such treatment, and that Setg'in had somehow become a favored target for it, but she'd never thought that such things would be directed at her. She looked down at the tiny ooman in confusion, and saw that the pup was settling back in her arms and smiling in a pleased fashion. Seeing this, Guan sought to make the pup feel secure and started purring again. This time, her eyes shot wide as the pup made a very disgusting sound from her mouth that was usually only heard when relieving excess gas! She was so shocked at the noise that she had stopped purring without even realizing it. Guan gaped at the pup in pure disbelief as the little female turned her attention elsewhere. She stared at the pup for a moment, and then started purring once more. She had intended it to be very soft and gentle, and was sure that it would make the pup feel more at ease.
When Lilith heard and felt Gwen start making that noise the third time, she decided to pull out all the stops! She remembered what one of the boys at her elementary school had taught her one day while they had been goofing off during recess. She pulled her hands to her face, and tucked her lips in, before placing the palms of her hands against her mouth, with her fingers brushing her ears. The result was an impossibly loud noise exactly like someone who had a lot of excess gas on their stomach and was having some serious trouble on the toilet! She made that incredibly loud farting sound go on for as long as she had air in her lungs, which was much longer than an actual fart would have lasted!
Three sets of eyes went wide, three sets of mandibles drooped, and three jaws dropped in shock at the very long, very loud, and very disgusting noise being made by the ooman pup! The blast of truly obscene, and really obnoxious noise continued for much longer than any of the three Yautja would have thought possible. Once the ooman pup finished making that unbelievable noise, she lowered her hands to her lap and sat quietly.
Guan was completely unable to understand why the pup had made such disgusting sounds. She didn't smell any fresh fear emanating from the ooman in her arms, but she was sure that the pup was still somewhat irritated by something. That much was obvious by the way the pup was acting. Wanting to calm and sooth the little ooman quickly she made the most intense purr she could, only to be interrupted once again by that incredibly rude noise.
"I don't think she wants you to keep purring." Than-guan said in surprise.
"What makes you think that" Guan asked.
"Because she does something to startle you into stopping each time you try." Than-guan answered bluntly.
"Do you not want me to purr, Little One? It seems to make you feel better." Guan asked as she looked down at the pup in her arms.
Lilith crossed her arms over her chest, shook her head, and glared at Gwen. She knew that it would only be a matter of time before these Predators started hurting her, and she did not want to start loving or caring about them the way she had once loved her parents. She knew that sound they made would make her feel better, and that would make her want to care about these Predators. But then she would feel even worse when they started making sure that she suffered because of how worthless she was. She didn't want that. She didn't want to care, because then it would hurt too much when they started hating her like her parents had done. Lilith suddenly looked up as the door to the room slid open with a hiss, and Thing-Two walked in.
"Well the bad news is that it will take him a few days to obtain plenty of material to make a few sets of clothing for her, but he said that he can have one set of clothing ready just before the evening meal. Between that, and what she has on, she'll at least be able to wear clean clothing each day until things are ready." Than-guan-thwei said with a slight smile as she walked in. "He was actually a little excited about the prospect of making something like this. He said that he's seen a few recordings of ooman clothing, and that he'll try to make something the pup will like, because they rarely wear the types of clothing that we do."
"I hadn't thought about that. What do you say about it, Little One? Would you wear the kind of clothing we have on?" Guan asked with an intent look at the pup in her arms.
Lilith's eyes bulged as she looked at the so called 'tops' that these Predator women were wearing. Their 'jiggly bits' or boobies were hardly even covered! Then her gaze slid lower as she looked at the strange little flap that hung between their legs. 'Oh no! No! There is no way that I'm showing my boobies or my butt like that! That's not even a bikini! And I don't see no beach around here!' She thought in shock before shaking her head with a stunned expression on her face.
"I would say that qualifies as a 'no', wouldn't you?" Yeyinde asked with a small laugh.
"Yes, I would. Than-guan do you have a bath I can use to get her cleaned up some? I swear that I can smell dried blood on her." Guan asked suddenly.
"You do smell it, and so do I, because some of it hasn't flaked off of her arms yet. And yes, there is a bathing pool here. One that's large enough for rehabilitation use if it's needed that way." Than-guan replied readily. "Come, I'll lead you to it. I think we could all use a nice hot soak."
"Thank you." Guan said before directing her attention to the pup in her arms. "Well, Little One. Let's get you cleaned up and looking like a proper young ooman." She added as she followed her friends to another room.
Lilith looked around with interest as she was carried into a room with a large pool sunk into the floor. Small wisps of steam curled up from the surface of the water. As soon as they entered, Gwen put her down on her feet, and began to remove her own clothes. Lilith turned away in embarrassment because she'd often been told that she wasn't supposed to see people naked, but then that had been before the basement.
"Take off your clothes Little One. You can't take a bath while wearing them you know." Gwen instructed her.
Lilith's face quirked in shame. Even though she'd spent the past four years huddled naked in her basement, she still didn't like the idea of being without clothes, especially after what her father had done to her when he'd pulled his clothes off. She sat down and pulled off the black boots she gotten from her mother's closet, before taking off the three pairs of socks. Then she unbuckled the belt, took off her shirt, and slid out of the black jeans. 'At least it isn't cold in here like it was in the basement.' She thought as she walked over to the edge of the pool of water and looked down at it.
"Well don't just look at it; get in!" She was told right before she felt a light nudge on her back.
Lilith had no idea who had said it, and at that instant she didn't care. What mattered right then was the light push that had taken her balance away. For brief instant she fought to regain her footing, and failed completely.
The water was almost scalding hot as she plunged straight to the bottom. She tried to scream because of the sudden sensation of water that was too hot hitting her face, but when she tried to take a breath to scream, she only drew that water into her lungs. Terrified panic flooded her mind as she tried to fight her way back to the surface to be able to breathe, but having never learned how to swim, she couldn't make it. Her feet toughed the bottom, and she could feel that her arms were part way out of the water, so she tried to jump so she could breathe again. Floundering and choking, her struggles became even more frantic because she wanted so desperately to breathe.
Suddenly, her left arm was grabbed forcefully and she was hauled from the bottom of the water to be cradled by two strong arms while someone pounded on her back to help her clear her lungs. Coughing, hacking, and sputtering, she slowly regained her breath, and cried the whole time because of how terrifying the experience had been. Getting beaten by her parents hadn't been nearly so frightening as being unable to breathe when there was plenty of air so close that she could feel it!
Slowly, Lilith was able to draw breath again, and though she was still coughing, she became aware of that purring being made by more than one of the Predator women. At that moment she couldn't have cared less about that weird sound that seemed to make her feel better. All she wanted was to be able to breathe again. When she was finally able to stop coughing she raised her head and saw one of the women kneeling in front of her with her head bowed and facing the floor.
Lilith looked at the Predator curiously wondering why she was sitting like that when the woman spoke. She knew from the voice that it was the one she had decided to call 'Thingy' because she hadn't been able to think of anything else that rhymed with her name.
"I am sincerely sorry for my actions just now Little One. I truly did not mean to place your life in danger. Had I known that you are unable to swim, I would have pulled you further from the pool, instead of nudging you towards it. I can only ask that you forgive my actions which were never meant to cause, or place you in any harm, and you have my most sincere apology." Yeyinde said fervently in the same type of very formal tone that she would have used when addressing an Honored Ancient.
As angry as she was, Guan-kv'var-de was currently more concerned about the ooman pup that Than-guan-thwei had yanked from the bottom of the pool. The acrid stench of fear from the pup hadn't dwindled in the slightest, and she knew the little ooman was terrified. The strong powerful purr was being echoed by two of her friends while Yeyinde moved to kneel in front of the pup with complete submission. She knew the healer hadn't intended for these results, but that did nothing to sooth her anger at that moment. When she heard to apology though, it became a much different story. The formal apology being stated by Yeyinde was full of remorse, and even sadness. It told her that her friend truly hadn't meant for this to happen, and she was glad that Thwei had reacted as fast as she had. After the apology was made though, the pup only kept looking at Yeyinde with a high level of distrust, and even possible fear on her face. Guan realized then that the ooman wouldn't know how to respond to what was being asked of her, and that she would need to assist to help resolve this issue.
"Will you accept my sister's apology Little One? She truly did not mean for this to happen, and I tell you now, that this will never happen again." Than-guan asked before Guan could speak up.
Lilith looked from the woman kneeling in front of her to the one standing off to the side. If she didn't know any better, she would almost swear that Thing-One looked almost as scared as she felt. She nodded her head a little reluctantly because she wasn't sure of what was about to happen, but something told her that everyone was very serious right now, and that something very bad would happen if she didn't accept the apology.
Lilith could hear the sigh of relief from Thing-One even over the sounds of Thing-Two and Gwen's purring. Then she noticed that Thingy was starting to shake a little. She looked back up at Gwen when the Predator started speaking.
"She has signaled her acceptance of your apology Yeyinde. She doesn't know our ways, and she still refuses to speak. Therefore, I don't expect her to make a formal acceptance, so I will make it in her behalf." Guan said carefully while trying to keep her anger out of her voice. "Your apology is accepted, and you are forgiven, Yeyinde. There will be no retribution for this action."
Lilith heard Thingy let out a shaky breath, and if she didn't know any better would almost have sworn that Thingy was the one who had nearly drowned.
Yeyinde released a shaky breath and looked at the still frightened pup being held by her sister. She could see the pup still breathing heavily, and suddenly understood just how frightened the pup had been. Knowing that a dishonorable death was no more than a few heart beats away was not a pleasant feeling! It was one that she was now familiar with, because had the pup not accepted her apology, she would have been immediately executed as a Bad Blood for having jeopardized and endangering the life of one so young.
"Be at ease Little One, I will make certain that nothing like this happens again. I will also teach you how to swim so that this can never happen again with anyone else." Yeyinde said sincerely as she looked at the shaken ooman pup.
Lilith was placed on the floor, and all four of the Predator women started purring as they finished getting undressed. Then she was once again picked up and she nearly panicked when she saw that she was being carried into the pool. The water rose to her chest as she was carried into the pool, but then stopped going higher as the one carrying her also stopped. Slowly she began to calm down, and that was helped by the constant purring that was coming at her from four different directions.
"Here. Put her down on this. She should be able to sit on it and still have her head well above the water." Than-guan told Guan as she placed a rather odd looking seat on the step like bench that the others were sitting on as they relaxed.
The female pup's body was as tense and stiff as a strip of dried kainde amedha when she placed the pup on the elevated seat. The pup began to slowly calm down once she realized that she wouldn't be completely under water.
"Just sit there and relax. Lean back against the side of the pool, and enjoy the water. You will be fine so long as you remain on that seat, or you stand on this step. We will not allow you to drown Little One." Yeyinde said as she waded out in front of the little female.
Lilith sat absolutely still in the pool of very hot water, and slowly let her body become adjusted to it. She couldn't but shudder as she remembered how cold she had always been for the past four years. First she was always cold in the damp, chilly basement, and then she was really cold when she tried to stay in that abandoned building that had turned to be owned by that lucky stiff Weyland. Then he had drug her down to the South Pole and if she had thought she was cold before, she had had another thing coming, because it was really cold there! But this? This was pure heat that she could feel sinking right down to her bones, and it was wonderful!
Lilith couldn't remember the last time she actually felt warm like this. Whatever might happen later, she truly wanted to enjoy being nice and warm at this moment. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the side of the pool with a loud groan of content. It felt so good to soak in hot water! After four miserably long years of constantly being cold, disgustingly filthy and even forced to eat of the nasty floor of the basement, she couldn't help but revel in the sensation of soothing hot water against her skin.
Yeyinde watched the ooman pup out of concern, and only started to relax when the little female leaned back and closed her eyes. In spite of the way that the pup seemed to be relaxing now, she wasn't about to move from in front of the pup. She had assumed this position to ensure that she could make a quick grab for the Little One if she fell of the seat or step, and into deeper water. She truly regretted the mistake that had nearly led to the pup drowning, because she really hadn't meant to harm the pup. She had been stunned into immobility when she saw that the little thing couldn't swim, and had actually thanked Paya that her sister had acted as fast as she had to save the pup's life. She watched as the pup appeared to enjoy soaking in the pool, and was relieved that even though the little thing couldn't swim, she still wasn't afraid of being in water. None the less, she maintained a careful and watchful vigil to make sure that the ooman was completely safe.
"Don't let her sleep, Guan. She's starting to get too relaxed!" Yeyinde warned.
Guan looked over at the young ooman female and saw that Yeyinde had spoken the truth. The Little One was about to fall asleep in the pool! She reached and placed her right hand on the pup's left shoulder with a gentle, but firm grasp.
"Do not sleep now Little One. You must bathe now. I will hold you up and let you down slowly until you feet touch the step. Just nod your head when you feel the bottom." Guan said softly when the pup had opened her eyes and looked at her.
Lilith did as she was told, and found that the waves just reached her chin while she was standing up. She looked around for a moment, and wondered exactly how she was supposed to bath in a swimming pool. That unvoiced question was answered when Thing-Two began very gently, and very lightly rubbing some stuff in her hair. It had a sort of sweet smell to it that she wasn't familiar with, but it still smelled good. Then, once her hair was lathered with the alien shampoo or whatever it was, she was picked up and sat on the edge of the pool.
"Paya's Blood!" Yeyinde nearly yelled as she saw the countless scars on the ooman pup's legs from who knew how many small burns.
Lilith tried to move back a bit when all four of the Predator women crowded around her while looking at her legs. She was sure that they were mad about something, but she didn't know what they might be mad about. She glanced at each one of them and got the feeling that they were now mad at her for some reason. Suddenly, she knew just why they were mad at her. They were mad for the same reason her parents were always mad at her… because she was worthless. Tears welled in her blue eyes and she started to back away from the Predators before she was grabbed by her face and made to look straight at Gwen.
"Tell me Little One! Tell me how this happened! Who did this to you?" Guan demanded in a near snarl of pure rage.
When the pup only closed her eyes, whimpered, and began to absolutely reek of fear, Guan realized that she was not going to get any kind of answer to her question. She wanted one though. Oh Paya how she wanted to know the answer to that! But the little pup was still refusing to speak. It was a situation that was so far beyond maddening that there was truly no real description for it.
Lilith screamed in terror as she was pulled from the edge of the pool, back into the water. 'They're gonna drown me!' She thought right before she was pulled into a firm embrace against the vibrating chest of a Predator. Feeling something against the right side of her head, she slowly opened her eyes to find that Gwen was holding her tightly. The purr that the Predator was making was so soft hat she could barely hear it, but she could sure feel it.
Guan held the female ooman pup tightly for many long moments while she struggled with the kind of rage that made her want to kill something very slowly. As angry as she was, there was no way that she would release her anger against a helpless pup who certainly didn't deserve it. A glance at her friends showed her that they were just as irate as she was. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but help the quivering and terrified pup until the scent of fear had begun to dissipate. Then she placed the ooman back on the edge of the pool and looked at the Little One.
The thighs of the poor pup were covered in so many burn scars that it was almost hard to tell were one stopped and another began. The only thing that let her see just how many there were was that each burn was a small round hole, as if the skin had been punctured by a claw. As she looked closely at one of the scars, she realized that it had been done slowly to inflict as much pain as possible. It was a sad realization to know that the pup still wasn't going to speak, and therefore the cause would never be known until this pup did decide to tell someone. Then a horrible thought struck her.
'It was an adult ooman who did this to her, and because of that, she won't trust any adults! Kwei was right in a way, except that it isn't respect that will need to be earned, it's her trust!' Guan realized with a sinking feeling in her stomach. 'This little female must think that we are no different from those who did this to her! Telling her that we aren't will mean absolutely nothing! She will need to be shown, and it will need to be proven to her that we would never do such things.'
"Thwei, some of those burns don't appear to be fully sealed yet. Go to the lab, and get vials nineteen, and one fifty eight. Mix them together in a bowl and bring them here." Than-guan said shakily before she looked over at Guan who was looking at the atrocity on the pup's legs.
"Why hasn't she been showing that she's in any pain?" Yeyinde asked appalled.
"Because of the injection earlier. There was pain blocker in it." Than-guan answered in a dull tone.
The three Yautja couldn't help but notice the wary and distrustful eyes with which the ooman pup was now watching them. To know that one so young would have legitimate cause to be fearful of all adults was heartrending, and sadly, they knew that only time and honorable actions could assuage that fear.
Lilith looked back over her shoulder as Thing-Two came back into the pool room. The Predator had done as she was asked so quickly that her naked body wasstill dripping water all over the place. She glanced at the bowl that was handed to Thing-One and watched as Thing-One and Gwen started rubbing some weird looking green stuff on her legs. What ever it was dried pretty fast, and Lilith saw that it turned into a thick crust like her blood had so often done. There was a strange tingling feeling from the stuff, but it didn't hurt. Then, as soon as the stuff was dry, Thing-One used some more of that strange shampoo and started scrubbing her lower legs. At the same time, Gwen got a bunch of it and began washing her arms.
Lilith tried to pull away because she knew that she could wash herself, but the Predators weren't allowing that. She was turning her head in all directions as she tried to watch what all of them were doing at the same time. Thingy was using the back of her fingers to lightly scrub her back, Thing-Two was washing the left side of her body, Gwen was washing her right side, and Thing-One was doing her legs. It didn't matter how much she tried to do it herself, the Predator women wouldn't let her. It was humiliating! She wasn't sure what was worse, getting beaten, or being washed like a baby! Then, once she was covered from head to toe in thick lathered foam, Gwen picked her up and stood her in the pool.
"Do you know how to hold your breath, Little One?" Gwen asked her suddenly.
Lilith nodded her head with a glare. She wasn't stupid if that's what these things thought!
"Good! I need you to hold your breath and duck under the water to get the cleansing foam out of your hair." Guan told the pup firmly.
She watched as the pup took a deep breath, held it, and suddenly dropped beneath the surface of the water. Guan let out a short bark of laughter at the antics of the pup, because she knew that this little ooman had a fair degree of intelligence. She reached down to scrub the foam out of the pup's hair, and found that the female was already doing just that. She helped get rid of the lathering foam, and gently pulled on the pup's arm to let the Little One know that the task was finished.
When Lilith stood back up, she had her eyes closed to keep the soap out of them until she could make sure that there wasn't any left in her hair. She didn't feel any when she ran her fingers through her shoulder length hair, and slowly opened her eyes to check. Wanting to make sure there was none of that weird soap left she held her breath and dunked her head back under the water and shook it a few times while scrubbing furiously. When she stood back up, she was grabbed by the arms and hauled out of the pool.
Lilith's eyes burned with tears of humiliation. As if being carried around like she couldn't walk, and bathed like she couldn't do it herself wasn't bad enough, Gwen was now drying her off too! She wanted so badly to make the Predator stop that her mind was racing for ideas. Gwen was drying between her legs when she gave the Predator a huge and loud raspberry. Gwen never stopped what she was doing, and didn't even stop that stupid purring when she'd made that noise. All it did was make Lilith madder than a drenched cat! She then got an idea for something really mean, and she was sure that it would make the Predator stop, and probably kill her too.
Lilith's eyes locked on the huge breasts of the Predator woman in front of her. The glaring look on her face was nothing compared to the malicious thoughts in her mind as she snapped her right hand out. She grabbed the Predator's left nipple, pinched and gave it a hard vindictive twist, in what was known as a 'Texas titty twister'!
Guan-kv'var-de was being careful as she used the soft absorbent leather to dry the pup's body. The task she was performing for the ooman pup was so reminiscent of tending to a suckling that she couldn't help the pleasant feelings it stirred within her. She maintained a constant purr the whole time, even though she knew that the pup didn't like it for some reason. She wasn't at all surprised when the pup made that rude noise while she went about drying the little thing off. But suddenly she was dropping the hide and roaring in pain that originated from her left breast as she rose to a standing position. It was the absolute last thing she had expected! She grabbed at her pain filled breast and looked down at the ooman pup who was retrieving the hide to finish drying herself off.
Guan was shaking with a mixture of rage and pain as she looked down at the ooman pup with narrowed eyes and flared mandibles. The only thing that stopped her from attacking and possibly killing the little pup was the fact that the pup was now calmly drying herself off as if nothing had happened. She had no idea wherethe pup could have learned such a painful method of personal assault, but she would never deny just how effective that attack had been! Her left breast throbbed in agony, as she observed the female, and suddenly she couldn't help but wonder just how many times the pup in front of her had endured the same thing. That one thought helped to cool the rage that burned through her mind, and Guan took several deep, slow breaths to still the rest of her anger.
Kneeling down, Guan reached out and grabbed the pup by her chin to make sure that the tiny ooman was looking at her. She was careful not to injure the pup, because it was all too obvious that such things had happened for too often already.
"That… was uncalled for! I have done nothing to you to deserve being hurt in such a way! Now have I?" Guan demanded firmly.
Lilith jerked out of the Predator's grasp, and stepped back with an angry glare. Then she pointedly held up the soft hide and began drying herself off once more.
Guan's eyes narrowed in anger once more when she was promptly ignored by the pup. Then she got an idea. If this pup wanted to act like that, then she could be just as stubborn as the pup. She shot a meaningful glance at each of her friends and silently mouthed the words 'hold her'. As soon as her friends had a solid grasp on the now struggling and… growling pup, Guan retrieved the hide to resumed the process of drying the Little One off.
Lilith tried to struggle against the hold that the Predators had on her. They weren't hurting her yet, but it was humiliating in the extreme to be treated like this. Tears of rage filled her eyes when she couldn't budge so much as an inch against the powerful grip that she was held in. That was right before she realized that Gwen wasn't involved at all! Certain that the Predator woman was now going to make her suffer like never before, she screamed her frustration and fear into the Predator's face.
"Relax Little One! I'm just drying you off. I'm not sure why you are so upset right now, since you have asked to be treated like this. By refusing to speak, you are acting like a mere suckling instead of a growing pup, and if you choose to act like a suckling, then you can expect to be treated like one." Guan said with a smirk over the noise the ooman was making.
Than-guan hadn't been too happy about restraining the pup like she and her two sisters were doing, but when she heard what Guan said to the little pup, she couldn't resist smiling. She watched as her friend used very gentle movements to dry the pup off. In fact, she was almost sure that more force was commonly used on an actual suckling! It didn't take an Elder to figure out what Guan's plan was, and she thought that it was a brilliant idea! Speaking to the pup with the same level of respect used for a Blooded Warrior, while treating her like a suckling was sure to show the pup that a greater level of respect could easily be obtained by acting properly and speaking normally.
"You can release her now." Guan said when she finished drying the pup's body and stood up. "You can put your clothing back on now Little One."
Lilith huffed in anger and went over to sit stubbornly by a wall, while the Predator women got their own clothes on. She glared at them constantly, and any time one of them looked over at her, she stuck out her tongue and gave them a very wet raspberry.
Guan finished donning her own clothing and looked over to see that the pup was still sulking moodily. She knew that what she and her friends had done, had been not just humiliating, but embarrassing as well. It was obvious that the pup was angry at her, and that was perfectly understandable, because had she been treated in such a manner, she would have killed whoever was responsible! It was plain to see that the pup was not going to get dressed without some proper encouragement.
"You don't have to wear that clothing if you don't wish to Little One. I'm sure Than-guan will be happy to put them in the incinerator for you. That is… as long as you want to be seen in public without clothing!" Guan said with a soft smile.
Lilith's eyes bulged from their sockets as she heard that comment. Instantly, she was scrambling to pull on her clothes before they were destroyed. Four years of being naked had been more than enough in her opinion, and she was not going through that again if she could help it